Nigerian musician, Peter Okoye celebrates with his son, Cameron after him and his team mates receives medals for participating at the Barca Academy World cup in Barcelona, Spain.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in every three women experience some sort of violence domestic or sexual.
In Nigeria, there has been a rise in cases of domestic violence among couples and celebrities are becoming victims.
Here is a list of 10 celebrities who were victims of domestic violence and abuse:
1) Monalisa Chinda
In 2014 Nollywood actress Monalisa Chinda opened up and revealed that she was a victim of domestic abuse.
Her first marriage to Dejo Richards ended over allegations of domestic violence and abuse.
According to her, she tried all she could to make the union work “ I tried to make it work, but it takes two people to tango”. The duo has a kid together.
When this marriage crashed, many thought the actress’s world had come to an end.
However, twelve years after that horrible experience, Chinda found love again in the arms of a man she calls her ‘lord and master’, Victor Coker.
According to her, she gave love a second chance because of her daughter. “Honestly, after my divorce which was very hard for me, I wanted my daughter to grow having a father figure. If nothing else, I did it for my child before doing it for myself,” she explained.
2) Suzanne Rero
In 2015, Emeka Ike and Suzanne Rero parted ways in a very scandalous manner. The couple separated following a filing of a divorce suit by Suzanne, who accused Emeka Ike of domestic violence.
They were married for 17 years. Suzanne claimed that Emeka verbally and physically abused her all through the years they lived as man and wife, even though their union seemed perfect on the outside.
Although the actor claimed that he had a peaceful marriage and he and his wife satisfied each other’s needs and enjoyed common happiness, the court ruled that the evidence presented was enough to understand that their marriage was beyond reconciliation and Emeka did not apply the necessary efforts.
3) Fathia Williams
Yoruba actress Fathia Williams popularly known as Fathia Balogun was formerly married to Saidi Balogun. As beautiful as they appeared as a couple, their marriage did not last. It was riddled with stories of domestic violence. After years of separation, the couples were officially divorced in 2015
4) Mercy Aigbe
In 2017, popular Nollywood actress Mercy accused her husband Lanre Gentry of physical violence.
“He beats me consistently. I stayed because I loved him and because every time he beats me, he begs and gets family and friends to beg me. He promised regularly to change but he never did.
“When my husband gets angry, he gets physical, not only to me but to anyone. He has done that with my house help who reported him to the Police years ago.
“I stayed because of my children and because a lot of people look up to me. I was a role model of some sort and I really wanted to keep it together. I just wanted a home,” Aigbe alleged
The couple separated after the battering allegedly resulted in a skull fracture, an allegation which her estranged husband denied.
5) Tonto Dikeh
Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh was married to philanthropist Olakunle Churchill. The actress however confirmed separation from her husband in February 2017. She accused her husband of violence.
The star actress, amidst tears, revealed images and video as proof of the abuse.
“The domestic violence is real. How I live to suffer it and going through it over and over again, I do not understand but a lot of people have blamed me. That I stayed back in my marriage is not because of my child but I believe that you cannot be abused, or you cannot leave your child in an environment of abuse and you claim you are doing it for your child, no. I stayed because I was doing it for myself, I stayed because I loved my husband with all of my heart,” She said.
However, reacting to the divorce in an interview, Churchill said: “Our marriage was plagued with several frivolous claims of falsity, ranging from domestic violence to false allegations and all what not.
“I never laid my hands on her. I have never done that in my life before. She made up those things to discredit my philanthropic works. I am from a proper disciplined Yoruba home. I was well trained and brought up under the fear of God.”
6) Foluke Daramola
Actress Foluke Daramola revealed that she was raped as a teenager. She married Babatunde Sobowale in 2005 and the union ended in 2008 after two kids on allegations of wife battering and infidelity. The actress has since remarried and is happy with her latest husband, Kayode Salako.
7) Daddy Freeze
Veteran on-air-personality Freeze (Ifedayo Olarinde) had a rocky relationship with his ex-wife Opeyemi Olarinde. In 2015, Freeze went on a spree on Instagram, revealing details of his turbulent marriage with his former wife and mother of his children.
In his revelations, he claimed that he was a victim of domestic abuse, and shared pictures of him with cuts and bruises. According to him, his wife assaulted him during their marriage.
Georgina Onuoha
Georgina Onuoha is a famous Nollywood actress, model, television personality and philanthropist. She is one of the gifted actresses in Nigeria from Anambra state.
Her marriage to Dr C Igwegbe crashed after 10 years, also on allegations of domestic violence.
The Nollywood actress and Dr. Ifeanyi Igwegbe had two beautiful daughters and were a happy family until everything came crumbling down in 2012
9) Chika Ike
Chika ‘Nancy’ Ike is a actress, television personality, producer, businesswoman, philanthropist and former model.
She was married to Mr Eberibi. After the marriage crashed, Chika Ike revealed that she was abused. According to her, one of their many fights resulted in a miscarriage.
10) Katherine Obiang
The popular ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ host, Frank Edoho was entangled in a messy marriage with his former wife Katherine Obiang.
Throughout their marriage, there were tales of domestic violence. “Just to dare to argue with your husband is like a challenge in your home. The woman is challenging the man and tempers flay and then you snap, then there is a slap. He says ‘I am sorry it is a mistake’ then says ‘sorry I won’t do it again,’ then he does it again, again and again.” Katherine said.
It was all drama as the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jubril and its Secretary Senator Adolphus Wabara disagreed over the submission of an investigative report on Thursday.
Briefing journalists shortly after a marathon meeting of the Board at the party’s Abuja secretariat, the two elderly chieftains contradicted each other on the status of a report of the committee that investigated.
At issue was a report of a five-man committee set up by the BoT on July 9, to investigate why PDP members in the House of Representatives elected Mr Ndudi Elumelu as Minority Leader, against the party’s choice of Mr. Kingsley Chinda.
Miffed by the Reps’ action, the leadership of the party had suspended Elumelu for one month.
Besides Elumelu, others affected by the suspension order were Lynda Ikpeazu, Wole Oke, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.
The BoT investigation committee, chaired by a former Senate President, Dr Iyiorchia Ayu also had two other former Senate Presidents, Chief David Mark and Chief Adolphus Wabara as members.
A former Deputy President of the Senate, Alhaji Ibahim Mantu was also a member while a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara served as secretary of the committee.
However, Opara resigned from the committee before it concluded its assignment.
During a question-and-answer session at the briefing, the BoT chair Jubril said the Board had received the Ayu committee report but had yet to submit same to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Jubril said: “We have received the report from the Ayu committee but we have not submitted it to the NWC because we are still deliberating on it and we have not taken a decision on it yet.”
But he was swiftly countered by BoT Secretary Wabara, who said that the Board had indeed submitted the report to the NWC.
Wabara said: “We have considered the report and we have submitted the report on Elumelu to the NWC”.
This was followed by muffled disagreement between the two elderly party chieftains with the BoT chair raising objection to the Secretary’s statement even as the latter stood his ground.
Their verbal exchange was in hushed tones but was audible enough for journalists to hear their voices.
The disagreement dragged till the end of the media briefing, with the two Board members frowning and mumbling at each other as they left the venue and walked through the drizzling rain into their waiting cars.
Curiously however, while the BoT meeting was still ongoing, the leadership of the party had issued a statement regarding the disputed report.
The statement, signed by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the NWC had not received the said report from the BoT.
The statement reads in full: “In the light of public enquiries and conflicting reports on the position of the leadership of our great party on issues related to the minority leadership of the House of Representatives;
“The National Working Committee (NWC) hereby clarifies that it has not yet received any report from the Board of Trustees (BoT) concerning the outcome of the five-member committee it set up to intervene on the contentious matter.
“Consequently, the NWC maintains that it has not taken any decision to review its subsisting stance on the minority leadership of the House of Representatives.
“The NWC therefore urges critical stakeholders, party members and the general public to completely disregard any report to the contrary”.
The notorious serial killer, Gracious David West was arrested by the police in Rivers.
The 26-year old killer from Buguma LGA of Rivers State, who is also a member of the Degbam cult group was arrested along East-West Road enroute to Uyo from Port Harcourt. He has since made useful statements to the Police.
The serial killer who was recently arrested in Bori, Rivers State is now reportedly making confessions.
Investigation is on with a view to ascertaining his motives and possible accomplices. The Commissioner of Police Rivers State, CP Mustapha Dandaura will be briefing the media on this significant Police breakthrough tomorrow, September 20, 2019.
A lady with id @projectbabyefe has taken to her Twitter timeline and reveals how her dad drove her mom to safety with bullets in his body. Gistmore reports
During the incident, her dad was shot three times on his way back from the village with my mom, he drove himself with those bullets in his body till he saw policemen on the road, he was operated on and he’s getting better rapidly.
Read her tweet below...
My dad was shot three times on his way back from the village with my mom, he drove himself with those bullets in his body till he saw policemen on the road, he was operated on and he’s getting better rapidly. God exists. This is proof. Romans 8:38-39 Pictures of his car��
Actress cum business woman, Iyabo Ojo’s daughter, Priscilla is living her best life as she is unarguably one of the most successful celebrity teenage girls in the country today!
Piscilla who was thrown a lavish 18 year old birthday party by her mum, months back, is not only an ambassador to top brands but also has her own clothing line, Priscy closet located in Lekki phase 1, Lagos.
In a recent chat with BBC, the teenage star who has been touring the world from Dubai to Turkey and forth, revealed that she cannot wait to enjoy the good things of life like having a husband, having her own kids, wealth and more when she comes of age.
Residents of Imota in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State have raised the alarm over forceful initiation of pupils into cultism in the community.
Some dwellers, especially parents, lamented that it has become tough to raise children in the neighbourhood due to cult activities.
They said children, particularly those in junior secondary school aged between 12 and 15, were soft targets for cultism.
No fewer than five cult members lost their lives recently when two rival gangs – Eiye and Aye confraternities – clashed during annual Oro Festival in the community.
About 19 suspects were arrested by the police while several others, including a notorious ringleader popularly known as Spirit, are on the run.
The recent deadly clash was a resurgence of perennial cult fights in the community which was curtailed in November 2017 when almost 120 cult members allegedly renounced their membership.
Our correspondent, who covered the event, had reported how some youths smoked a substance suspected to be Indian hemp to celebrate the renunciation presided over by the then Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi.
Although peace had returned when this reporter visited the community on Tuesday, residents, most of who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reason, expressed worries over initiation of schoolchildren into cultism.
A parent, who gave his name only as Samuel, told City Round that his 12-year-old son could have been initiated some months ago, but for his drastic actions.
Samuel, who narrated the recent deadly clash, stated that he had intensified the supervision of his son’s movements.
He said, “The fight started around 12pm, on Sunday, September 1 while Oro Festival was on. Only men were allowed to come out that day. As I was having fun with my friends, we saw some boys on motorcycles moving about with guns without any restriction. After a while, we started hearing gunshots and went inside.
“We later learnt that some rival cult members had killed one another. Five corpses were recovered, but I only know one of the deceased persons. His name is Sheriff. Most of the cult members are outsiders. They fled immediately after the killings.
“The major issue we have is that those boys are forcefully initiating pupils, who are in junior classes. They will waylay them, beat them up and warn them not to tell their parents. That is the beginning of the initiation process. As a responsible parent you have to closely monitor your children in this community right from home to the school. I handed over my child to his teacher for proper monitoring and asked him to inform me whenever he is not in school.
“One evening, my wife sent our son on an errand. They ambushed him and beat him up. He told me when he got home and I immediately went to meet the mother of one of the cult members he identified. I told the woman to warn her child to stay off my son. That boy had been expelled from school.”
A mother of three, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also lamented the rate at which children were being forced into cultism.
The woman blamed the ugly trend on broken marriages, stating that most of the children initiated into cult groups were not living with their parents.
She added, “But some parents are nonchalant about the movement of their children and that is what these cult members capitalise on to recruit young boys into their folds. Most times, children who are not living with their parents are their targets. This community is peaceful but the moment those hoodlums start clashing, everywhere will be deserted.”
A civil servant and resident said he was planning to relocate from the area for the sake of his children. He accused the police of collecting bribes to release arrested cult members, adding such act discouraged people from giving police information.
He said, “I learnt some of the cult members that participated in the clash have been arrested. Unfortunately, the police would release them soon. Their notorious leader is Spirit. He is still at large.
“I am already planning to relocate from this community because I don’t want my children to end up joining cultism. They are forcing small boys to join them.”
Asked about the veracity of the residents’ claim that schoolchildren were being forced into cultism, the Chairman, Imota Local Council Development Area, Mr Wasiu Agoro, replied in affirmative, saying, “It is very true.”
Agoro, however, said some parents aided cultism by giving bribes to bail arrested cult members from police custody.
He said, “What we learnt was that two people had a little misunderstanding and it snowballed into the clash. No innocent person was attacked. They ambushed one another in a guerilla warfare during which three of them died. The law has to take its course. Arrests have been made and other measures have been put in place to forestall a recurrence.
“The parents are the number one factor fuelling cultism. Like Yoruba will say, ‘your child is not into laundry yet he brings many clothes home,’ and you are not asking questions. Whenever the children are arrested, they would sell land to raise funds to bail them at police stations. I advised them in one forum that instead of using this money to bail them, why not use it to train the children. The parents are the ones giving them information that police are coming after them.
“The children won’t go to school or learn any trade; what do you expect them to become? You will see young boys of 14 piercing their ears and moving around and the parents will not bother.”
Ranodu of Imota, Oba Ajibade Bakare-Agoro, said the fatal clash would have been prevented if a team of Special Anti-Robbery Squad deployed in the community were on the ground.
He said the hoodlums took advantage of the absence of the officers who went for an assignment in the Ikeja area of the state to foment trouble, adding that the operatives were back into the community.
He stated, “The Oro Festival is an annual event which happens between the end of August and early September. About two years ago, we went to the extent of inviting the leadership (of the cult groups) for a peace meeting. Nobody ever knew some elements among these people are still contacting their allies outside Imota.
“They came in unknowingly while we were celebrating the festival and started causing trouble. They visited one of the leaders who had renounced cultism and after they got drunk, they started attacking one another.
“It was when we concluded the festival and returned to the palace around 7pm that we heard five persons were killed. The perpetrators came from outside. I have told the police to track down the leader called Akeem aka Spirit.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, denied the allegation that police collected bribes to release cult suspects.
He said the suspects were charged but could have been granted bail by the court, urging the community to always follow up on cult cases in court.
He stated, “They should give a specific example of a cult member released by the police. As soon as we arrest them, we take them to court. The 19 suspects arrested have already been remanded in prison. It is the responsibility of the community to follow up the matter. If they see it as a problem affecting their community, as soon as arrest is made, they should follow up at the police station and be willing to go to court to testify. They should also follow proceedings in court. We are doing our best; the community should also support us.”
Meanwhile, Temitope Sani, the wife of one of the suspected cult members killed during the clash, Sheriff Sani, said her husband was sleeping at home when the hoodlums struck.
The nursing mother debunked the claim that her husband was a cult member, saying that he was a surveyor.
She told City Round that their newborn baby – and only child – was 23 days old on the day Sheriff was killed.
She recalled, “A day before the incident, he ironed all his clothes. The dress he wore that day was the uniform clothes (aso ebi) used for his mother burial. His mother died about a year ago. I even tried to convince him not to wear the clothes because the trousers had torn at the private parts region but he refused.
“He went out to visit his father and while he was coming back, he bought ‘pepper soup’ for me. He returned home that day around 12noon and complained of headache and he used a pain relief drug. I was in my room while he was in his apartment sleeping. All of a sudden, some hoodlums stormed our compound and attacked him. We could not come out until they left. He was a surveyor; I didn’t know him as a cult member.”